Deliveries of medical cannabis will soon be allowed in Oxnard after action from the City Council to relax one area of its marijuana ordinance.

By a unanimous vote, the council on Tuesday approved medical marijuana deliveries and requested more information on other commercial aspects of recreational and medicinal pot. It was an indication that other parts of the city marijuana ordinance could be relaxed in the future.

"I'm not really opposed to one commercial establishment if we can do it correctly," said Councilwoman Carmen Ramirez. She added that one possible location for a dispensary could be in downtown near the police station.

The city attorney's office will write up a new regulation regarding medical marijuana deliveries for final council consideration in the fall.

Assistant City Attorney Jefferson Billingsley said the city's "go-slow" approach of allowing just medical marijuana deliveries doesn't mean it's a final decision on marijuana operations. A decision to go slowly will clarify the city's ordinance before the state begins issuing recreational marijuana business licenses in January, he said. The council can consider relaxing its current ban on marijuana operations at a later date.

Last year, California voters passed Proposition 64 to legalize recreational marijuana and allow personal cultivation of up to six plants per household for those 21 and older. The initiative gives cities leeway to craft their own ordinances to ban or regulate various aspects of the marijuana business.

During the public-comment portion of the City Council meeting, Oxnard High School teacher Jaime Moreno said, "I know we're on this go-slow approach, but I'm hoping we don't go too slow."

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General information on California Proposition 64 and how it applies to Ventura County. The 2016 proposition legalized marijuana use statewide for persons 21 years or older, but cities can still ban certain practices such as outdoor cultivation.
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Moreno said he doesn't want to miss out on grant funding given to cities that allow cultivation and dispensaries. He said that funding could go toward youth education programs on the effects of marijuana use.

"I've probably seen five kids under the influence of alcohol in my 19 years in teaching," Moreno said. "Every week, I probably see two to three kids under the influence of marijuana."

While the state does provide grants to cities that permit marijuana retail and cultivation, Billingsley said there's no guarantee Oxnard would receive them if it relaxes its current ban.

In addition to making a decision on marijuana deliveries, the council approved clarifying language in its zoning code to reiterate the city's ban on other commercial aspects of marijuana.

Council members Bert Perello and Oscar Madrigal voted "no" on language in the zoning code to explicitly ban commercial marijuana activities. Madrigal, who supports allowing commercial marijuana operations, questioned whether there are any drawbacks from a go-slow approach.

Perello said while he does not support recreational marijuana, he supports medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivation and lab testing.

"I would like to have medical marijuana available for people who need it," Perello said.